Costumes And Characters: The Enchantress

And here we are, Halloween. So, here's the final (for now) character in my story who is also my Halloween costume this year!

I wrote these chapters a while ago and after I wrote the Mad Hatter Chapter I really didn’t know what came next. I mentioned this to a friend of mine who knew I was writing these and she said that maybe I was in the wilderness. The waiting place. And at the time I truly think I was. I was preparing, in limbo, waiting for whatever God had planned for me next. But now, now I know what chapter comes next, what character. And that is what I will share with you now.

This character appeared last summer, the day before my sisters Graduation Party. I walked into the kitchen to find her and some friends of ours (really more like siblings) creating characters for themselves. So, as I listened to the crazy characters developing around the kitchen table, naturally I wanted in on the action. There was an undercover princess, a time traveler, a werewolf, and a demi duck… that’s a long story of its own… And that was when Crystal the Enchantress appeared. All our characters continued to develop all throughout the summer and continue to develop even now. Back stories emerged, new adventures began, new characters joined the game. And Crystal the Enchantress began to get her own little personality.

The most unique part about Crystal is that she enjoys turning herself into a dragon. But that’s not the only interesting part about her. What I was surprised to discover as The Enchantress began to develop was that she has a little bit of every character I’ve ever been in her. Everything from a fairy to The Mad Hatter, it’s present in her personality, just as it is in mine.

She’s regal and majestic like a princess to start. She has magic and she has a passion to help people like I did when I was the fairy in my story. She also has the power to heal people and creatures with her magic, like I did as a fairy.

She lives in a castle and takes in countless creatures if they have nowhere to live, much like Jamie The Jungle Princess. Anything from everyday animals to wizards and warlocks take refuge in her castle. And I’d like to think her castle sits atop a cliff somewhere overlooking the ocean on one side and perhaps a jungle or magical forest on the other. And she doesn’t just have a love for animals, her flower gardens would be immaculate both inside and outside her castle.

So the jungle, fairy, and princess are easily explained as part of The Enchantresses personality, but how does a spy fit in? Well, she loves solving problems and she is smart and cunning. She also quite enjoys staying hidden and sneaking around without anyone seeing her.

The enchantress is certainly part pirate. Part pirate captain to be precise. She may be quiet most of the time, but that is simply because she is carefully calculating the right thing to say and when to have the most impact. She knows how to take charge and when. And she knows when is best to take the rest of her “crews” advice.

The Mad Hatter is certainly a quieter part of her. She hides it well but it’s still there. She… I… survived a lot of heartbreak, perhaps not as much as most, but her heart breaks for anyone who is hurting and that has a way of wearing on a person. It is only natural for a little bit of madness to seep through every once in a while.

She is very different than any other character I’ve ever been, but at the same time is much like a combination of all the characters. The Enchantress in me is still developing. Still writing her story. This chapter is only just beginning. But I already know who the Enchantress is. She is kind, and loving, just a bit mysterious, not afraid of adventure, and ready to take on the world. I don’t know what this next chapter will bring exactly, but the Enchantress in me is ready to take on the world with confidence and grace.

 

                   Thank you for going on this journey with me!

Costumes And Characters: Mad Hatter

I would have to say that my love of hats really started with being a spy. I don’t know where the connection between spies and fedoras originally came from, but we decided that spies needed to wear fedoras. And that was the first time I remember really starting to wear hats. I started collecting them after that. I have probably five or so fedoras, including one covered in pink sequins. Then my love of fedoras turned into a love for hats of any kind. Pirate hats, top hats, bowler hats, any kind of hat really. And then it began. The Mad Hatter in me started to make an appearance. And so begins the most interesting chapter of all, because who’s more interesting than a Mad Hatter?

I, like most kids, grew up knowing the Disney version of the Mad Hatter. Short, old, rambling, crazy Mad Hatter in the Disney Alice in Wonderland. He wasn’t my favorite character, that’s for sure. But then, when I was about sixteen, I watched a miniseries on Netflix about sort of a modern Alice in Wonderland. The story itself was a bit strange, it was Alice in Wonderland after all, but I was intrigued by their interpretation of the Mad Hatter. He wasn’t mad, not really, just misunderstood, and a little crazy. He was actually quite sweet and ends up falling in love with Alice. At the end he misses her so much that he leaves Wonderland and goes back to her world to be with her. But this Mad Hatter was completely different than any other interpretation I had ever seen before. Such as the Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter for example. He was a bit too mad for my taste. Little too creepy. But then there was the Mad Hatter in the show Once Upon a Time, he was very much like the miniseries version. And I liked him a lot.

So, October 2012, before I turned seventeen, I bought my first top hat. It was a dark blue, it was from some Halloween store and was cheaply made and didn’t fit quite right, but I loved it. I put a big flower on it and wore it to a party our friends host every year, it was Mad Hatter Day after all! And then I became obsessed. We were going to have a Once Upon a Time Party in November and I was going to be the Mad Hatter. I searched and searched for just the right pieces for my costume. It had to be perfect. I got bouncy hair pieces that I could clip in. I had my hat already but it needed more. I bought some funky ribbon to tie around the middle and the extra hung down the back. Then I had a big scarf around my neck poking out of the most awesome jacket I own. It’s this cool blue green color and has swirls in the pattern. Then I had half finger gloves and knee high socks to match. It was perfect. My own crazy interpretation of the Mad Hatter.

I would go on to dress as the Mad Hatter for Halloween and I would wear my hat for New Years and other random events. Then the Mad Hatter found his way into my writing. I wrote, and am still writing, at least three different poems about the Mad Hatter. Two of them were for writing projects in school. One of them I actually submitted to a writing magazine on campus and it was printed in it. I was asked to read it at a reading for students who had their work in the magazine. I was terrified. I hate speaking in public where all the attention is on me. I’m a writer for a reason. You can read my work without me being present. I’m the girl behind the curtain; I’d rather be the writer hiding behind the page.  But I did it. I got up there and read my poem in front of everyone. I am glad I did it, but don’t know that I will rush to do it again.

I often wonder if I will end up like the Mad Hatter. By myself in a little cottage, alone with my collection of hats. Of course I’m usually thinking of that when I can’t sleep and am left to find company in my own crazy imagination. I get stuck in my head and it leads me to places I don’t necessarily want to go. The madness occasionally seeps out into my day as well. I find myself rambling more than usual or I start laughing for no reason in particular and can’t stop myself.

Turning into the Mad Hatter has had its good parts too though. I don’t care what other people think of me as much as I used to. I don’t care if they think I’m a little crazy because I am, why hide it? And if I hadn’t been obsessed with the Mad Hatter then I wouldn’t have written the poem that gave me the opportunity to share my writing, and that has given me the confidence to start sharing it with the world. If I didn’t have a little bit of Mad Hatter in me I probably wouldn’t have this blog right now. I would still be too afraid to share what I write. And of course the Mad Hatter has inspired my now quite large hat collection. I now have at least 25 hats in all sorts of styles. The Mad Hatter, like every other character, is very much still in me somewhere. And sometimes, usually late at night, the Mad Hatter in me will make an appearance...

 

 

Tomorrow is Halloween! Come back tomorrow to see how all of these characters tie into the character I currently consider myself.

 

 

Costumes And Characters: Pirate

It was July eleventh 2010. We were on a walk and were trying to figure out what to do the next day. That’s when mom suddenly, for the first time ever, mentioned the Sterling Renaissance Festival. We decided to go. My sister and I had no idea what to expect. The feeling I got as I walked under that archway for the first time was amazing. It was like stepping back in time. I don't remember much from that first time. But I do remember that as soon as I got home I started putting together my outfit for the next year. That day was when it all began, but the real turning point into this next chapter, this next character, came the next year. And it would be the beginning of the Pirate Chapter.

We walked under the archway into another world and I knew I was about to have a very exciting day, but I didn’t know it would change the way I see myself. Everything looked as if it had been brought back from the 1600‘s. The buildings were permanent, they looked as if they had been standing there for centuries. All of the workers dressed, spoke, and acted the part and rarely broke character. Like my family and I, most of the guests, dressed up as villagers, fairies, pirates, and gypsies. This added to the magic and made it seem like we really walked back in time. I felt like I fit in with the crowd, but yet I stood out in my own way. That is one of the best things about the festival. You can be anyone you want to be and no one will think you were strange. Something I have had problems with in the past.

Then we found the pirates. They were playing music and I tapped my black boot on the dusty ground and swirled my long pink skirt. Two things I would never wear on almost any other day. Now I wear things like that all the time. I didn’t usually like to stand out; I didn’t like being the center of attention. When the pirates had finished, I walked up to the three girl pirates on the path. “There be a pirate” they said. That one comment made my day. I was recognized as a pirate by the pirates. I had only expected a picture from each, but I got a whole story and a pirate name. I was known as “Jessica the Bloodthirsty.” That name didn’t really suit me; I was definitely not the pirate type any other day. I never was. However, I wasn’t about to complain. They invited me to be part of their crew. I played along and told them that I would love to, but that my parents probably wouldn’t let me.

And that was where it all began. I would go to the festival almost every after that and every year the pirates would recognize me. In addition to the renaissance fest, my pirate personality managed to find its way into my everyday life. I continue to improve my pirate costume. I continue to form my back story. I became Captain Opal Jemstone (yes I spelled that with a j on purpose). And I host a Pirate Feast every year where all of the “pirates” take a break from fighting each other to sit down and eat a grand feast and dance and drink together.

I felt different when I got home that day; after the Renaissance Festival. I suddenly didn’t care as much if I fit in or stood out. I don’t mind being the center of attention anymore. If it wasn’t for this chapter in my life then I would still be that shy little girl who was afraid to stand out and afraid to take control of anything. Taking on my pirate personality has given me confidence I never thought I could have. I turn myself into a pirate pretty often now, I pretend I am the captain of my crew; it gets me to speak up and get people to listen. Although I have moved on from this pirate chapter, Captain Opal Jemstone is still a very large part of me. It’s the part that isn’t afraid to go on an adventure, no matter what that adventure will bring. I would be the first to admit that this part of me does not come out nearly as much as it should. But that will change, because now I am part pirate.

 

One more character before Halloween! And its one of the most interesting, so check back tomorrow!

Costumes And Characters: Spy

This next chapter is one I often forget but is still important. It’s the “Missing Chapter” otherwise known as the Spy Chapter.

It all began with a love for Mary Kate and Ashley the mystery solving Olsen Twins. My sister and I would read the books and watch the movies over and over again. We would go sit up in our tree house and pretend we were the twins, I was Mary Kate and she was always Ashley. We would solve imaginary crimes and mysteries. Somewhere along the line I started really getting interested in codes and nicknames and putting together riddles for my sister or friends to figure out. I would put together these complicated puzzles and maps and they would lead them around the property until they found their prize, usually a treasure chest full of gold fish crackers. I loved the thrill of putting something together and having it lead to something cool. It was like a treasure hunt.

The riddles and puzzles turned into codes and complicated clues as the years went by. My sister and I created a fairly simple code or two and would spend hours trying to memorize them. Then we would write to each other in code and try to read it without cheating. At some point our love of solving mysteries somehow turned into a spy movie commercial.

One of our friends had stayed the night and we randomly decided we should film a commercial. A spy movie commercial. So, we did. We got all dressed up, fedoras, sunglasses and all, and I got out my video camera. And that was the beginning of the spy movie. The beginning of Opal the spy; otherwise known as Agent Jem.

We weren’t really planning on turning it into a real movie. In fact it was a year or so before we even came up with a real plotline. But since that random night of creating a spy movie commercial, spies was the only thing on our minds. We would start to go through “spy training” where we would split into two teams and write riddles in code and put them around the house. Then the other team would have to figure them out and they would lead them to our location. It was quite fun. In addition to the riddles and codes, we would also try to sneak around without anyone knowing where we were. We would call the tree house our hideout and we would try to go from the tree house down to the kitchen for food without being seen. I still find myself sneaking around sometimes, trying to walk through the house undetected.

Eventually the idea of filming a movie sounded too exciting to pass up, so we wrote a script. It took a while. And a lot of sitting around having everyone throw random lines at me while I sat on the computer attempting to put them in an order that made sense. I was surprised we even ended up with a script let alone a movie. But we managed to get it done. My sister and I still turn to each other with smiles on our faces whenever we watch it and say “we made a movie!” we still can’t believe we actually did it!

So, the spy is still lingering in my mind somewhere, just as every other character I have been over the years. I learned a lot while making the spy movie and I have learned a lot by pretending to be a spy.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see who the next character in my story is!

Costumes And Characters: Jungle Princess

The next character, or chapter, is Jamie the Jungle Princess. Whether my sister and I were rescuing imaginary injured animals and bringing them back to our tree house, going on a treasure hunt, or being the Jungle Princess and the Ocean Princess at a royal ball, a love of animals and the jungle is definitely present in the next part of my story.

This part of my story really starts when I was a baby. One of my parent’s friends used to watch me and we would watch The Crocodile Hunter together. Now, I don’t remember that, I was a baby after all, but my love of The Crocodile Hunter continues to this day. I loved how he would capture animals in trouble and nurse them back to health. I grew to love snakes, koalas, monkeys, any animal really. When I was ten I wanted to go to Australia and work at Steve Irwin’s zoo. Most kids want to be doctors or astronauts when they grow up, I wanted to be a zoo keeper. In Australia. A lot has changed since then…

From the time I was little my family started going to Florida every winter. Yes, sometimes we went to Disney World, but most of the time we were in the middle of the wildlife of Florida. I would grow to love watching the birds, gators, and manatees. My love of animals continued to grow with every time we went. And of course, living in the Adirondack Park and going camping every summer brought even more of a love for animals and wildlife.

When I was ten years old my love of the jungle transferred into my room. It was literally painted on my walls. My parents told me that they were going to paint my room and I could choose anything I wanted. But they were only painting it once, so if I changed my mind I would have to paint it myself. So, I chose something I knew I would like for a long time, the jungle. The finished product was more amazing than I could ever imagine. There is a rainbow, a waterfall, vines, flowers, and of course some fairies. There is even a painted tree on the wall that branches into a real tree branch over my bed. A canopy full of monkeys, birds, and snakes.

Not too long after that we would venture into some real jungles in Roatan Honduras. I would get to hold some real monkeys and we would eventually buy property in the jungle where the Runaway Pineapple Lodge now sits.

My love of the jungle and animals really is spread throughout my entire life and continues to grow. But it is out of this love of the jungle and animals that some of my other characters and chapters come to be, including the one I’m in now. So I suppose it is still a good story to tell. The story of the Jungle Princess.

Check back tomorrow for the next character!

Costumes And Characters: The Fairy

I like to think of my story, my life, as a series of characters. As I go through life my personality changes and grows, and the characters I choose to play changes with it. I separate the chapters of my life by the costumes I wear. I know, that sounds ridiculous, but it is totally true. Seeming as Halloween is just around the corner, I figured what better time to write a post, or a series of posts, about costumes than right now? So, in the next week leading up to Halloween I will be posting a series of stories about different phases, costumes or characters if you will, I have been throughout my life and how they all tie together into my current character. I hope you enjoy going on this journey with me!

(But if you’d like to just skip to the end, check back in on Halloween for the current character, who, appropriately, will also be my Halloween costume)

~~~~~~~~~~~

The first chapter of my life is a princess, as any little girls is. But I don't remember most of that except that I had a Cinderella dress that I wore all the time, even though my favorite princess has always been Snow White. So, I’m going to start this with the next character, A fairy.

When I was little, my sister and I would go to our friends house all the time. His family was close to ours and we grew up together. Whenever we were at his house we would occupy ourselves in countless ways, but my favorite times were when we would go out to his backyard and end up in another world.

I was always a fairy, I had the ability to fly, of course, and I could heal those who got hurt in battle. I could also shrink or grow whenever it was necessary. My sister was usually a princess and our friend was always the hero. Our adventures would begin with us jumping off the swing. It was as if we were flying into an imaginary world or jumping into our character. We would use sticks for swords, or a wand in my case, and we would fight off imaginary villains. Whenever someone would fall in battle I would rush to their aid and heal them with my wand. I guess I’ve always had a desire to help people.

Like all good stories, we would always win. Even though the odds were entirely not in our favor as it was usually three against hundreds. But we were young; when you’re a child with an active imagination anything is possible.

We would spend hours out there, going on new adventures and coming up with new villains to fight. Day after day after day, we would never get tired of it. But, like all things, this chapter of my story came to an end. But I am still very much that same little girl. Just a little older, hopefully wiser, and unfortunately fighting some real battles now, not just imaginary pirates with stick swords. Life was so simple back then…

Check back tomorrow for the next Character in my Story!

Walkaway Tacos

"Walkaway tacos! It's a taco in a bag, It's delicious!" That is what I have been yelling all weekend long. I was selling them at the Snow Bash to raise money for the Sunday school at my church. Some people walked right up and tried it, some knowing just what it was and some just being adventurous. Some people were a little more hesitant and needed a little more convincing. And quite a few refused to try it at all, some even grimacing and shaking their heads. The most interesting were the people who finally decided to try one and then came back for seconds and thirds, surprised at how good it was and wanting more.

This got me thinking, why does it take us so long to try something new? We criticize it before we even try it. If it seems odd or strange we don't want to go anywhere near it. Is that why some people are so afraid to believe in God? Because it's so strange and hard to believe in? But then, like the ones who are finally convinced to try it, they give it a chance. Then they want more and more and can't get enough of it.

So, where am I going with this? I have had experience with both being too eager and being too safe. The trick is finding a balance in the middle. If something really seems like a bad idea, it probably is. But don't be too quick to either praise our criticize something if you have never tried it yourself. Also, don't hold yourself back. It is good to have parameters, but don’t let them hold you back from something important, something that maybe you are supposed to be doing in life.

So, the next time you hear someone yell "walkaway tacos! It's a taco in a bag, it's delicious!" don't be too quick to judge one way or the other. Think about it.

Blinding Eclipse

Yesterday, as most of you probably know, was a solar eclipse. And as most of you, I was tempted to look at it. I had heard all the warnings. How it could damage my eyes and possibly make me go blind if I looked at it without eye protection. But I was still tempted to look at it anyway. This was a rare occurrence, I didn't want to miss it just because I hadn't planned ahead. But isn’t that how most temptations work anyway? We can be warned a thousand times about how dangerous it is but yet, we do it anyway for one reason or another.

We all have our temptations. Alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate, love... There are countless temptation and some of them can even be part of God’s creation, yet, they can get us into trouble if not handled properly. The eclipse is part of God’s creation, yet it could hurt us if we don't use protection. The same goes for any other temptations. I'm the same as the rest of you, I have my temptations. My biggest temptation is love. I want to find my prince charming. I want the husband and the kids. But that temptation, though hopefully part of Gods plan for me in the future, can get me into trouble now because now is not the right time for it.
 

I need protection from my temptation so that I will not give into it and become blind to Gods plan for my life. I need protection so that I don't get burned. Just as those special glasses were protection from becoming blinded from looking at the eclipse, God is my protection against giving my heart to the wrong guy. He has taught me how to guard my heart and take precautions so that I don't get blinded by every sweet guy I meet and miss what God really has planned for me.

 

In the end I did find a way to watch the eclipse for a minute or two, I faced my camera to the sun and watched on the screen rather than the sky. But all I saw was a ball of light. I had known that it wouldn’t be a total eclipse in my area, but I hadn’t expected that there would be absolutely no eclipse to be seen at all. Sure, the sky got a bit darker, but that was about it. All that trouble and it wasn't even worth it. But if I had taken the time to find myself some of those glasses, make one of those pinhole viewers, or even bothered to look for the tv channel that was streaming it, then I would’ve been able to enjoy it. But without the protection, with the intent of just trying to watch because I was so tempted yet didn't bother to prepare, it was useless. I feel it would be the same for my temptation. If I don't take the time to let God prepare me for the right guy and protect me from the wrong ones, then I’m just going to end up with one of the wrong guys and it won't be worth it. It would simply be because I gave into my temptation. Not because we're supposed to be together.

 

I am going to let God protect me from my temptations. I don’t want them to blind me to what His plan for me truly is because I know His plan for me is going to be amazing. And I know that if I have that layer of protection, then not only will I be able to wait until God brings me the right guy, I will also be able to just be friends with guys without being tempted to be more. God is my protection, and He can be the protection from your temptations too.

What are some of your temptations and has God helped protect you from them?

Photo from NASA

   

Boyfriends And Girlfriends

"Everyone's got a girlfriend or boyfriend" says the frustrated 15 year old boy sitting next to me. He was referring to how many of the kids he knows have recently gotten into relationships while he, being older, still hadn't. "I'm 21 and have never had a boyfriend, and there's nothing wrong with that" I assured him. I went on to ask if he wanted one and he said no, but he still feels left out. I believe my view on dating is pretty well known by now, so it shouldn't be a surprise that it concerns me that all of these young people I know are already dating, or want to be. Especially when, more than likely, the only reason they're dating is because they'll feel left out otherwise, or it’s just “nice” to be in a relationship. But they're just kids! Why are they in such a hurry to grow up?

Now, I get it, I was their age once too. I would be lying if I said I didn't want a boyfriend when I was their age. But why such urgency? Why so young? There are so many reasons I’m thankful I was homeschooled, and this happens to be one of them. I wasn’t surrounded by a school full of "available" guys growing up. And I wasn’t surrounded with the peer pressure encouraging me to be like everyone else and have a boyfriend. Now that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about it, it just means I didn't have the ability to act on it. And I am so thankful for that.

My first crush (my first one on an actual person, not tv character, that is) was on a guy my mom worked with. He drove me crazy and I didn't even like him that much. He just happened to be the only guy "available" when my view on guys "matured" from them being annoying to them being cute. I came to find out he wasn't really available anyway. He had a girlfriend who he is still with to this day many years later. And you know what? I laugh about it now. I wasn’t heartbroken, I never really cared. I'm happy for him. I enjoyed the time we spent working together and that's all that mattered. I was only interested in him because I felt like it would be nice to have a boyfriend so I picked one. But it scares me to think of what would’ve happened if he wasn’t the only available guy when I was in that stage of life.

I successfully made it through being a teenager without having a boyfriend. And I’m proud of that. I’ve had my heart broken by too many people to add a boyfriend to that list. Especially when I was so young. I'm a very emotional person and I get attached to people very easily. Jumping into an intimate relationship at such a young age, and probably having it fall apart because it would’ve been for the wrong reasons (to fit in and craving attention), would’ve crushed me. I would’ve been so consumed with making it work, or the fact that it didn’t, that I wouldn’t spend any time just being a kid. Figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be. I would always be concerned with making sure he was happy instead of making sure I was. And I probably wouldn’t have spent as much time on my writing as I did either. I would’ve grown up far too fast and, therefore, wouldn’t be the girl I am today.

I can only speak for myself when I say I was nowhere near mature enough to have a boyfriend at 15, and I know people who are in relationships even younger than that. Being in a relationship simply for the fear of feeling left out, or because it would be “nice,” is no reason to be in one. Not for me. When someone tells me they want a boyfriend or girlfriend I’m going to ask them one simple question: Why do you want one? I ask myself the same question every time I think about how I’d like to have one. My answer? My only reason for having a boyfriend will be because God showed me I’m going to marry him someday. If that’s not the case with a particular guy, then I’m not going to date him. I was far too immature and naïve at 15 to figure that out, I am so thankful God protected me from the temptation.

I’m glad I didn’t have a boyfriend when I was a teenager. It gave me the chance to really enjoy all the other things being a teenager has to offer. And I will probably look back at my life in five years or so and be glad I still don’t have a boyfriend now. I find peace in knowing that the perfect guy for me is out there and God will show me who it is when the time is right. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the stage of life I'm in right now, boyfriend or not. How about you?

Bittersweet Memories

The other day I was talking with a nice gentleman, discussing what I like to do. I mentioned I am a writer and he asked if I had anything published. Some of you already know the answer to this particular question, some may not. But the answer is yes, that I self-published a short story on Amazon Kindle a few years back. He asked what it was about and all I could manage to say was "it's about a girl who decided to go on a cruise" I was at a loss for words. Why couldn't I manage to describe my own story? And then the answer hit me. I haven't read it in a very long time, in fact, I had been avoiding it. Trying to forget it...

You see, this particular story is very different than most of my other stories. This story is a mix of my real memories and a fictional adventure. There’s not just a bit of myself worked in-between the lines, there are real true memories on paper for all to see. And those memories, happy when I wrote them, are now almost painful to remember.

They say "you don't know what you have till it's gone" but what they don't say is that when you do know exactly what you have and you find it gone, it hurts even more. We had something special. The people we met on that first cruise. But life happened, things were said, feelings were hurt, and our friendship fell apart. I miss them. And that was why I was avoiding reading my story. But I came home that night and knew what I needed to do. I picked up my tablet and forced myself to read it. Read it start to finish. Not without a few tears, but I did it. And I am so glad I did.

It’s a story about taking chances. Not being afraid to do things that scare you. Especially when you know in your heart it's what you're supposed to do. I found the courage to relive those beautiful bittersweet memories. I know we may never make more amazing memories with those particular people again, but that doesn’t mean I should forget the ones we did make. Because that cruise did change my life. The people we met helped mold me into the person I am today. We were supposed to be on that cruise, just as the girl in the story was supposed to be on her cruise. I know now that, just because I am afraid of happy memories turning to sad ones, doesn't mean that I should stop making them. Instead I will learn from them, and find the courage to smile at them instead of cry over them. The people may not be in my life anymore, but the memories, the memories last forever. And that is truly a beautiful thing.

If you would like to read my short story it is called Pineapple and Hand Sanitizer

The Roatan Dream

March 17^th 2007, St. Patrick's day. The islands green hills towered above us as we waited to get off the ship. To me, it was just another stop on our cruise, but I would learn much later that this island, not the four other places we would visit on that trip, was the whole reason we were on that cruise in the first place. My dad told my mom one day that we needed to go to Roatan. And that was why we were on that ship. Roatan was on my parents, and now all of our hearts, but we didn’t know why yet. Not on that day. Now, ten years later, we do. St. Patrick’s day 2007 will now be remembered as the day the Runaway Pineapple Lodge first became a possibility, a fleeting feeling, but it would be another ten years before it truly came into existence.

My family has always loved to travel. Trips all across the northeast for family reunions, road trips to Florida nearly every winter, and that cruise would be the first of three. So finding ourselves falling in love with this little island in the Caribbean wasn't overly surprising. It was, however, a bit terrifying. We had been there twice on cruises before making the jump to staying there for two weeks. It would be just about seven years after we first stepped foot on the island. But we weren't just staying for a couple weeks of vacation, no, we were looking at property. We were starting to realize what the true plan was. The plan that was seven years in the making.

We looked at a few houses, planning on vacationing there and renting it out when we weren't there, but none of them worked. It just wasn't right. They weren't... us... they weren’t home. Finally we went and looked at a piece of property. A view of the ocean, jungle surrounding us, a walk to the beach. But there was nothing on it. Just land. But we all knew it would be our land. It was meant to be. It took us a long time to admit it to ourselves and to each other however. It didn't make sense to buy land, it would be too complicated. But we all knew it was what we were supposed to do. So eventually, we did.

April 1^st 2014, we got the call saying we officially own the property. The passing feeling had become a passing thought, the thought turned into a dream, and that dream was becoming a reality. We owned property in Roatan Honduras. So what were we going to do with it? Well, in the time between finding the property and owning it, our little dream of owning a vacation house quickly blossomed into owning a bed and breakfast. Our plans changed multiple times but eventually we had a design. A two story octagon house with a loft and a cupola. The house would be mostly deck since, when you're on the island, you spend most of your time outside anyway. A communal outdoor kitchen, a couple hotel rooms downstairs, eventually a few tent platforms scattered throughout the property for some glamping tents. But would it ever get built?

It took a lot longer to get it built than we thought, or rather, than we were hoping it would. We switched builder's, changed our plans around, impatiently waiting for our dream to become a reality. Then, March 11^th 2016, we broke ground. A few long months later we had the main structure. July 2016 my parents would take a trip to the island to do as much building as they could on their own. It still didn't seem possible. So much work still to do...

December 18^th 2016 we embarked on a three week trip down to the island. We worked most of the time. So many things needed to be finished before we could rent it out. The Runaway Pineapple Lodge had a name, a location, it was finally becoming an actual destination. From a fleeting feeling to a reality. Almost.

Now, exactly ten years after I first laid eyes on the rolling green hills of the beautiful island of Roatan Honduras, I am proud to say the Runaway Pineapple Lodge is open for business! Looking back at ten years of memories, I see it took a long time, a lot of faith, endless trust, and much perseverance to get where we are. There were so many reasons to quit, so many times we should've given up and let the dream be just that, a dream. But we didn't, we kept going. Even when it didn't make any sense. Because this place, this place to call home so far from home, was meant to be. Meant to be built. Meant to become a reality. And every step we take, I'm so glad we let it become a reality instead of giving up on the dream. Don’t give up on your dreams, especially the ones God puts on your heart. They will come true in the end. They just might take a little longer than you would like them too.

 

If you would like to stay at the Runaway Pineapple Lodge, or would like more information, contact us on Facebook or go to our website

 

Puzzle

Last week I was doing a puzzle with a two year old. Yes, a disaster waiting to happen right? Well as I watched him try to fit the pieces in where they didn't belong, not paying any attention to the box or the rest of the puzzle to see where it really fits, I realized how hard it is to do a puzzle without the picture on the box. And I realized, that's life.

Life is like a puzzle. There are all these little pieces that, when put together, create the big picture, God’s Plan for our lives. But the difference between the puzzle of life and the actual puzzle is that we don't get to see the picture on the box. Only God knows what that picture looks like and we just have to trust that he will show us where the pieces go.

When I do a puzzle I like to know exactly where a piece fits in before I try it anywhere. I look at the colors, the shape, and I compare it to the picture on the box. I want to know exactly where it goes before I go ahead and put it in. The other day I realized that I do this with life too. I have all these pieces. A random place, a person, a potential job, countless ideas, but I don’t know how they all fit together yet, so I don’t move on any of them. I don’t try to fit them in because I can’t quite see where they go yet. I've realized that's both good and bad. Good because it forces me to be patient and not try to force pieces in where they don't belong. Bad because if I never try it I'll never know if it fits or not. It's a balance I'm currently working on.

This past month some of those pieces started to fall right into place. The picture kept making more sense. A place, a job, a plan. I felt like God was showing me what my picture was going to look like. So I started fitting all the pieces in. Getting ahead of myself. Not realizing that, perhaps, I was cramming pieces in before they were supposed to go there. Then it was like the two year old I was doing the puzzle with last week swept all the pieces onto the floor (which he actually did by the way).

The job fell through, moving no longer possible, my plan was in pieces. My life no longer made any sense. The pieces were scattered on the floor and, honestly, I was in absolutely no hurry to try to pick them up again. For days I just stared at them in shock, wishing they could go from scattered on the floor back onto the table all by themselves. But I know that isn't how it works. I knew I should start picking them up and start putting the puzzle back together again. But at the time, I was perfectly content just leaving them right where they were. Until yesterday.

When things fall apart it's ok to have some time to just stare at the mess on the floor and process what happened. As long as you know you do need to clean up the mess eventually. So today I started gathering together those pieces. Admittedly soaking them in some salty tears, but I started. And that is what is important.

And as I go I am reevaluating some of the pieces I had put aside. Wondering if perhaps it's one of those goals I need to be pursuing right now. I’ve talked before about how there is a reason for everything. Each thing is a piece of the puzzle, we just don’t necessarily know where it fits until much later in our lives. Or, sometimes, we can see where it goes right away. Either way, you need all the pieces to finish the puzzle. Even the ones that look like they don’t fit. I have quite a few pieces that don't seem to fit right now. But maybe these are the ones I should be looking at.

My plan, what I wanted my picture to look like, just wasn't what it was supposed to be right now. Maybe in the future, but not right this minute. I realize that now, but I wish I had realized that before the pieces got swept off the table. But I am picking up the pieces and I'm attempting to put them back together. And I'm going to try to not be like that two year old and try to fit pieces where they don't belong. I'm going to trust that God, the artist of the picture on the puzzle, will show me where the pieces go when the time is right.

The Power Of A Hug

Last night I was lucky enough to see a friend I hadn't seen in a while. She had moved away and came back for an unexpected visit. This friend has an amazing talent, she gives some of the best hugs I have ever received. Her love just pulses through whoever she hugs. It may sound silly, but I crave her hugs when she's gone. It’s like when I get a hug from her some of her optimism transfers over to me and gives me the strength to make it through this crazy life.

About a week ago my family came home from vacation and were happy to see our "little sister" after three long weeks. She's not our sister by blood or marriage or any program, but she is very much our sister. And she gives hugs like no other. The kind where she holds on and won't let go. They're special and lasting. And when we saw her after three weeks away and she gave me one of her special hugs I was certainly not surprised, but very thankful. I hadn't realized how much I had missed them.

About three years ago today I received a hug I will never forget. I was in Roatan Honduras on vacation with my family and in the two weeks we were there we met and became quite close to someone there. Meeting him changed my whole outlook on life, but what I remember most about him was the way he hugged me goodbye. He's a very outgoing person. The kind of guy who loves everyone and isn't afraid to show it. And that kind of love just radiates off of him. And when he hugged me that time it radiated right through me. It was something I had never felt before. And it made me realize how powerful a hug can really be.

There are many different kinds of hugs. There's the casual, nice to see you hug. The big, I haven't seen you in far too long and I missed you hug. There's the overjoyed hug. The I love you so much hug. The shoulder to cry on hug. The I'll see you tomorrow hug. And the I wish we didn't have to say goodbye hug. Big strong hugs like the ones my uncle gives where his strength just makes you feel safe. Or clingy hugs like when my sister hugs me and won't let go and they make you feel missed and wanted. Or ones like my two friends where they literally give you a boost of energy and optimism. There are countless categories. Countless kinds of hugs and countless reasons for a hug.

Of course, that's coming from someone who's always looking for a reason for a hug. As you have probably gathered, I'm a very cuddly person. I'll take any chance I get to give a hug or snuggle with my family. But recently I've realized that the true, real hugs are few and far between. And I think it's something that really needs to be fixed. I realize not everyone is a “hugger”, I know a few people who only hug when absolutely necessary. But whether you consider yourself a "hugger" or not, it's no secret, a hug is a powerful thing and needs to be shared.

We thrive on human connection. There is healing that can be felt when two people hug long enough to let the warmth flow between them. I still crave hugs like the big strong ones my uncle gives, or the clingy ones like my sister gives, or warm ones like my friend gave me last night, or like my other friend gave me that day three years ago. I don’t know when I will see any of these people again, but I will always remember their hugs.

This life is hard, we get hurt, but every one of these hugs healed me a little. Made me feel needed, safe, loved, or more optimistic about life. Hugs are powerful and we should never miss an opportunity to hug someone. And always make it mean something. Because a hug is powerful, and all it takes is a little love.

Neither of these lovely ladies were specifically mentioned in this post, but they too are pretty awesome huggers!

Friends In Far Places

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” ~ Tim Cahill

My family has always liked to travel. Camping trips, driving to Florida, family reunions, cruising, and most recently trips to Roatan Honduras. We just got home from a three week trip to Roatan where my family is building an Eco Lodge called The Runaway Pineapple. We love to travel and love to meet new people wherever we go. But the problem with meeting new people on vacation is that, chances are, you live nowhere near each other once you’re back home again.

So what do you do? The people we meet on vacation are the people who make our vacations amazing, but will we just never see them again? Three years ago we were on the island and met many awesome people. They made our time there unforgettable. A few of them we haven’t heard from since, and a few we still talk to and have even seen since then. This most recent trip is the same story. We met some awesome people, but will we ever see them again?

So if, chances are, we won’t see the people we meet on vacation again, does that mean we should keep them at a distance? Not get too close because we’ll probably never see each other again? These people are the difference between just another trip and an amazing vacation. Don’t treat those vacation friends just as that, people you will only see on vacation. Treat them as friends. If they’re people you think you really want to keep in your life when the vacations over, then don’t be afraid to keep the relationship going! Keep in touch!

I know how hard a long distance friendship can be. I have some good friends who have moved away and we struggle to keep in touch. I also met some really good friends on vacation and, even though it's really hard to stay friends due to the long distance between us, I honestly can say I wouln't be who I am without having met them and I am so glad we've managed to stay friends after the vacation was over.

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” ~ Tim Cahill. Those vacation friends are the reason the vacation was amazing, so why let them disappear when the trip comes to an end? Don’t let those vacation friends slip away!

Do you have a story about someone you met on vacation? I would love to hear it!

 

Thank you Delta's napkin for the inspiration

Year Of Adventure

"To live would be an awfully big adventure" ~ Peter Pan. I know I've brought up this quote before, but seeming as it's kind of my life motto, you should know in advance that it will probably come up in more than one blog post. So today it has come up again. And with good reason.

Today is the first day of 2017. Last year, as some of you know, my new years goal was to write one good thing a day on a card and I kept them in a jar. Some days it was hard, the only good thing I could come up with being sleep. And of course there were also the days so full of good things it took up the whole card. It taught me to find the good in every day and really improved my outlook on life. In fact I enjoyed doing it so much, and enjoyed looking through them all at the end of the year, that I was kind of sad I wouldn't be doing it anymore. The year was over and I needed a new New Years Goal. After thinking about it I've declared this coming year a year of adventure. A year of risks, flying leaps, and LIVING.
I've always been a very cautious person, to a fault sometimes. So, to force myself to take more risks, I've decided to have one adventure a day. One risk a day. One thing I wouldn't normally do. Some might be as simple as trying a new food, some as crazy as moving to another state. "To live would be an awfully big adventure" after all, and I plan on 2017 being a year full of adventure!

What is your New Years Goal? I would love to hear about it! And remember, if you like what you read, please share with your friends, follow me on facebook at Jessica Page, and subscribe to my blog with your email so you never miss a post! Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!